review
Trinity River D4NS Summit
The market for affordable acoustic guitars is huge, and so is the number of guitar makers vying for a piece of that pie. So how does a one company stand out from the rest? Well, in the case of Trinity River, they went for the rustic look.
Model Features
The Summit is a non-cutaway, Dreadnought size guitar with a Solid Sitka Spruce top, Rosewood fretboard, and laminated Rosewood sides and back. It features a pinless high-tension bridge, JLD bridge system, Western heel, compact headstock, and a natural Satin finish.
Rustic Beauty
Trinity River calls their guitars “Primitive Acoustic Instruments.” The “Primitive” label has nothing to do with construction, but everything to do with looks. Trinity River has decided not to hide or alter any imperfections that occur naturally in wood. They also decided to use a very light satin finish to allow the guitar's wood to vibrate more freely. The result is a guitar that has a rustic, almost unfinished look. When I first opened the box that the Summit came in, I thought the guitar was dusty, but this is simply a result of the light satin finish. While this primitive look has certain rustic charm, it is certainly unconventional.
Balancing out (or detracting from, depending on your viewpoint) the rugged looks of the Summit, is a shiny marbleized pickguard, inlays around the soundhole and on the bridge, plus a large 12th fret inlay with the Summit name on it. The compact headstock has the Trinity River brand name in gold lettering on it. Dot markers are offset between the 6th and 5th strings on the fretboard, a nice touch that fits the unconventional looks of the Summit.
Construction
The Summit is built in China and construction was surprisingly neat inside and out, with the exception of a small glob of green stuff (who knows?) visible through the soundhole on one of the braces inside the guitar body. It has a compact headstock with die cast tuners that work smoothly and stay in tune without any slipping. The neck has a “Zero fret”, which is simply an extra large fret placed directly in front of the nut. Zero frets are typically used by manufactures to speed up the construction process and therefore lower the cost of building the instrument.
The neck is slightly on the narrow size, which will appeal to players with small hands, but fingerstyle players (or guitarist with large hands) may prefer a wider neck. The frets are thin and, unfortunately, have rough edges. Running your hand up and down the neck reveals their sharpness.
One of the more interesting features of the Trinity River guitar's construction is the use of the JLD bridge system. The JLD bridge system is a device that attaches between the bridge of the guitar and the heel of the body. The system stabilizes the top and keeps it from pulling outward (or bowing.) This allows the use of heavier gauge strings with the resulting fuller tone. It also allows the use of a pinless bridge where the strings feed through bottom of the bridge instead of up through the body of the guitar. Trinity River claims the JLD system has an equalizing effect on the top of the guitar, giving it a more balanced tone. I can't judge whether the JLD system is responsible, but I can say the tone of the Summit is, indeed, very balanced.
Setup
Out of the box, the action (string height) of the review guitar was quite high. It took a couple of truss rod adjustments to make it playable. However, this is something that should be handled by the dealer as part of normal setup before the sale. After making the neck adjustments I found no string buzzes or other problems.
Playability
The Summit is comfortable guitar to play. It balances perfectly on you leg when sitting down, and I found that I could anchor my picking hand on the bridge when I needed to do some intricate single note picking. I found the neck comfortable, but the somewhat narrow width will be a matter of personal taste depending on your hand size. Since it has very little finish, you really feel the wood on this guitar. It doesn't have the smooth feel of a high-gloss finished guitar. Again this will be a personal taste issue that some will like and other will not.
Due to its narrow neck width, I didn't find it an ideal guitar for fingerstyle playing. My picking hand always felt a little crowded by the closeness of the strings. When strumming or using a pick, however, the Summit shined. No matter how hard I strummed, the sound never compressed or got mushy, it just seemed to come more alive.
Tone
The one word that best describes the Summit's tone is balanced. I was expecting it to be a little bass heavy due to its Rosewood back and sides, but it is fairly even throughout the tonal spectrum, with just a hint more clarity in the treble strings. It is not at all boomy, as some Rosewood guitars can be, but it as also not as full sounding. In fact, I found the overall sound to be somewhat delicate. Thanks to the light satin finish, it has a surprising amount of sustain. Chords ring for a long time before dying out.
Ideal Users
The Summit is a great strumming guitar with a balanced tone that won't overpower a singer. Singer/songwriters would be ideal candidates, especially those who play music that fits the more rustic looks of the Summit. It doesn't have a pickup, so you will be limited to small settings unless you install a soundhole pickup. The JLD bridge system eliminates the possibility of a strap pin jack, although a normal jack could be installed on the body. It would also be a fine starter guitar for new players. One they would not soon outgrow.
Final Thoughts
With exception of some rough fret edges, the Summit is well-built, quality guitar at an affordable price. It has a balanced, somewhat delicate tone that doesn't overpower, yet still has plenty of sustain. Its appearance has a rustic charm some will enjoy and other will find unfinished looking. It is comfortable to play and seems most at home when strumming chords. If you are in the market for a nice starter guitar, or a guitar to accompany your singing at home, the Summit is worth consideration.
Reader Comments
Better Guitar encourages your input. Agree with this review? Think I’m crazy? If you own or have played a Trinity River D4NS Summit, email me your comments and I’ll post them below. The more opinions our readers have available, the better their buying decisions will be.
stats
- • Solid Sitka Spruce top
- • Laminated Rosewood back & sides
- • Non cutaway
- • JLD Bridge System
- • Pinless high tension bridge
- • Compact headstock
- • Die cast tuners
- • Solid Sitka Spruce top
- • Western heel
- • Rosewood fingerboard
- • Zero fret
- • Offset position markers
- • Natural Satin finish
Positives
- Balanced tone; good value.
Negatives
- Rough fret edges.
Estimated Street Price
- $299
Rating
- Performance: 8
- Sound Quality: 8
- Construction: 7
- Overall: 7.7
Ratings Key
- 0 = Worthless
- 10 = Excellent
Company
- Trinity River